Share this article

Share

Hair expert Jo Hansford, who has worked with the star in the past, said: 'It looks like Raquel has had a front-lace hairpiece. This is where a strip of lace is glued to the hairline and strands are pulled through.

'It's designed to make the hairline look thicker and stronger. Hair is usually combed over to disguise it, but unfortunately it's been exposed on this occasion.'

Virtual reality: But on the cover of Beyond The Cleavage: The Real Story Behind The Sex Symbol, she appears to have had a little help from the airbrush

Airbrushed: Raquel seen on the cover of her autobiography

In a recent interview with Oprah Winfrey, Miss Welch said women should accept growing old. 'I want them to stop being scared of it because it's just another chapter in life,' she said.

'I want to encourage them to really embrace it and go with it.'

The One Million Years B.C. star, who famously posed in a fur bikini for the 1960's film, arrived wearing a pair of tight jeans and a figure-hugging blue waistcoat.

The mother-of-two, who split from her fourth husband, restaurateur Richard Palmer, 15 years her junior, in 2003, has always denied having any cosmetic surgery to maintain her looks, which saw her signed up as the face of MAC cosmetics at the age of 66.

She once claimed she spent up to ten hours a day keeping herself in shape through a combination of yoga sessions, weight training, healthy eating and her make-up regime.

'I've always been a health fanatic,' she said. 'I found out a long time ago that if I indulged by stuffing my face with great food, lying about reading books and watching TV or talking on the phone, I was not a happy camper.

'Turning 60 was not a happy time. I didn't think 'I'm falling apart', but I did re-examine my priorities. I'm far more ready to go with the flow now because I am more accepting of myself. '

Sex symbol: The actress, who is approaching her 70th birthday, looked sleek and glamorous in a navy blue waistcoat and jeans outfit at the book launch

Embrace the age: Welch has urged women to embrace the ageing process

Share or comment on this article:

Beyond the airbrush... Raquel Welch has her laughter lines erased on cover of new book